SUNNY sea buckthorn

Characteristics of ‘Sunny’

• Name
• Hippophae rhamnoides ‘Sunny’ (also called Solnechnaya in some sources)
• Sex
• Female (fruit-bearing) — it bears berries, so for fruiting, a male plant is needed nearby for pollination.
• Hardiness/climate zones
• Zones 2b to 9a. This means it can tolerate fairly harsh winters.
• Adult size
• Approximately 2 meters (≈ 6-8 feet).
• Habit and thorns
• Spreading habit; few thorns — making harvesting less unpleasant.
• Berries/fruit
• Fairly large, oval fruit, golden-yellow when ripe, very juicy. Good flavor — sweet with a slight acidity, less fibrous texture. “Sweet, lightly acidic flavor and smooth, less fibrous texture” mentioned in a Canadian source.
• Harvest period
• Around mid-August for regions where it is grown.
• Start of production
• Approximately 3 years after planting to obtain significant production.

Advantages of ‘Sunny’

• Fewer thorns: makes harvesting by hand easier.

• Good berry flavor, pleasant and juicy texture, less fibrous.

• Productive variety in good conditions, attractive yield.

• Suitable for cold climates (zones 2-3) and can adapt to various soils as long as there is full sun.

Limitations/points to watch out for

• As with all sea buckthorns, a male plant is needed near the female plants (‘Sunny’ is female) for pollination. Without this, there will be no fruit.

• Required exposure: full sun. It will perform less well in shade.

• Well-drained soil is required; saturated or very wet soils can be problematic. (This is not always explicitly stated for ‘Sunny’, but it is a general requirement for sea buckthorns).

• A sufficiently long growing season is desirable for the berries to ripen properly; early frost in autumn or late frost in spring could be detrimental.